Ice-removing mechanism for railroad-rails.



No. 657,622. Patented Sept. u, I900. J. J. SHIRKEY, ICE REMOVING MECHANISM FUR RAILROAD RAILS.

(Applicatio n filed Apr. 80, 1900. i (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 657,622. Patented Sept. II, I900.

J. J. SHIRKEY. ICE REMOVING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD RAILS.

(Application filed Apr. 30, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. SHIRKEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ICE-REMOVING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,622, dated September 11, 1900. Application filed April 30,1900. Serial No. 14,842. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. SHIRKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Removing Mechanism for Railroad-Rails, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 shows the front part of a car a, in side elevation, with my device applied in operative position. Fig. 2 shows Fig. 1 in front view. Fig. 3 shows my said device as shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, applied to the front end of a car. Fig. 4 shows an ice-puncturing wheel in side elevation. Fig. 5 shows a central transverse section of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows an ice-cutting wheel in side elevation. Fig. 7 shows a central transverse section of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows a side elevation of a wheel provided with transverse ice-cutters. Fig. 9 shows a side elevation, and Fig. 10 a front elevation, of a modified form of construction shown in Fig. 8.

Like reference-letters denote like parts on the drawings.

The object of myinvention is to produce a mechanism for removing ice and sleet from the third rail of electric railroads. To attain said desirable end I construct my said new mechanism in substantially the following manner, namely:

Suspended from the car-body a by liftingsprings c and straps d and adjusted to work up and down by a screwfin a fixed nut e is a pair of superimposed wheel-holding bars I) I), forced apart by a series of coiled springs g. Through said bars and springs pass the stems of the forked wheel-supports 0, whose shoulders below the bar I) and heads on the bar I) limit the motion of the bar I). The front end of said bars is also provided with a steel brush it, with stifi brushing mechanism, following which is a wheel i provided with radial closely-set sharp steel barbs i, and next in order follows a wheel j provided with circumferential cutters j, and next in order follows a Wheel 1', having on its rim radially-pointing transverse steel cutters vi The said brush h clears the rail of loose snow and ice, the wheel 1' punctures the ice and breaks and flakes it up into small masses,

and the cutters t of the wheelj cut the ice into longitudinal strips, after which the transverse cutters 7: out said longitudinal strips into small square blocks, which will break loose from their base.

The diagonal cutters j of Figs. 9 and 10 are merely a modification of the transverse cutters 2' of the wheel t" to accomplish practically the same purpose. A sprocket-wheel m, secured to the axle of the wheel t and a chain belt m operate a sprocket-wheel m on the shaft of the cylindrical and revolving brush Z, which is provided with steel brushing-springs Z, wherewith every removable particle of ice will be forced from the track or third rail 19. Said third rail is the well-known third rail used for conducting the current of certain constructions of electric railroads, whereon ice forms a working obstruction.

The bar b is held by straps d, attached to the laterally-projecting springs c, and a screw f, passing through a nut e, secured in a rigid bracket, affords means for adjustment of the bars I) b to and from the track into operative and inoperative condition, while the springs 9 yield to the motion of the bar I) through the action of said wheels, which yield to the irregularity of the track-surface, and the said action of the said several wheels 't' j i Z is aided to a considerable degree by the springs c, owing to their arrangement with the said screw f.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with superimposed, spring-supported and vertically-adjustable bars, of a series of wheels faced with mechanism adapted to com minute ice and sleet on railroad-rails and means to remove said comminuted material, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with superimposed, spring-supported and vertically-adjustable bars thrust apart by springs and held in place to each other by wheel-supports, of a series of wheels in said supports, faced with mechanism adapted to comminute ice and sleet and means to remove said comminuted material from railroad-rails, substantially as speci-- fied.

JOHN J. SI-IIRKEY.

Witnesses:

J. H. PEDRIOK, BERTRAM E. SHERMAN. 

